


not every heart turns to stone

by brooklynapple



Series: Marihilda Medusa [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Epic quests, F/F, Falling In Love, Medusa - Freeform, Medusa!Marianne, brave warrior Hilda, loosely based on Greek myth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:21:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25135327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brooklynapple/pseuds/brooklynapple
Summary: Fearless warrior Hilda Valentine Goneril sets out to slay a deadly monster. She ends up falling in love instead, and that's when her adventure truly begins. A Marihilda-focused reclaiming of the myth of Medusa, with an FE3H spin.
Relationships: Marianne von Edmund/Hilda Valentine Goneril
Series: Marihilda Medusa [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1820704
Comments: 22
Kudos: 77





	1. a fateful encounter

Hilda Valentine Goneril, fearless warrior of House Goneril, sailed across the sea to slay a monster. Many were the songs that had been sung of her brave deeds and sharp axe. She carried the hope of all Fodlan on her shoulders as she stood at the prow of her ship, seeking the mysterious island where the monster was known to dwell. 

This monster, it was said, was a fearsome gorgon who could turn someone to stone if they so much looked at her. She had vanquished many brave fighters with her wily tricks and deadly gaze. But Hilda was not afraid - she had slain many evil monsters, and many wicked men, and had never met a foe she could not defeat.

As she anchored her ship off the coast of the island, it seemed to her like any other island, with a sandy beach, green fields, and a small dirt path leading away from the sea towards the woods at the island’s heart. She approached in a small rowboat, leaving her crew behind on the ship, and as she drew closer she still saw nothing amiss, no sign that a great evil dwelt here. 

The sun shone brightly on the white, sandy shore and sparkled on the turquoise water as she alighted on the beach and set out across the rolling green fields. The air was warm and pleasant, smelling faintly of flowers, and as she made her way farther into the island’s interior she noticed that it teemed with animal life. Rabbits and deer ran carefree through the fields, squirrels frolicked in the trees, a herd of wild horses grazed in the distance, and everywhere she looked she saw birds of every imaginable variety and color. The balmy, fragrant air was full of birdsong, and neither the birds nor the animals seemed the least bit afraid of her. 

Still, she did not trust the island’s welcoming tranquility, as surely it was another of the gorgon’s ploys to lure in unsuspecting victims. She tightened her grip on her axe as she continued along the path and entered the woods. What manner of monster was this, she wondered, who struck such fear into the hearts of men and none at all into other living things?

The path led deep into the woods, past sun-dappled groves and babbling streams and trees taller than Hilda had ever seen, taller even than the tallest buildings in the capital of her homeland. The woods, too, teemed with life, and the woodland creatures watched her with curiosity as she strode farther into the forest. 

As she rounded a bend, she came suddenly across the first sign of her quarry. A stone statue of a warrior stood astride the path, breathtaking in its lifelike detail. Hilda could see every crease in the warrior’s clothes, every tiny decoration in his armor, even the eyelashes framing eyes that were frozen wide open in fear. His sword was held out before him as though warding off a foe, but there was no foe to be seen.

More and more statues appeared as she continued along the path. All were warriors, men and women both, and all had been frozen mid-battle. Some bore looks of intense fear, others determination, still others hatred and rage. Yet even as the path and woods grew thick with these statues, there was still no sign of the enemy they had fought.

The path came to an abrupt end in front of a cave set in a hillside. Torches stood outside the cave entrance, and a symbol that Hilda had never seen before was carved into the stone above the cave’s mouth.

The woodland creatures were more numerous than ever here, and Hilda spotted signs that someone had been feeding and caring for them. The statues were more numerous too, almost as if there was a crowd of warriors lying in wait outside the cave for the fearsome gorgon to emerge. 

There was something not quite right about it all, Hilda thought, something strange about the juxtaposition of carefree animals and frozen, terrified humans that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. But she had come to slay a monster, and here was surely where the monster must dwell, so she steeled her courage and hefted her axe.

“Show yourself, monster!” she called out. “Face me, that I may defeat you and rid the land of your evil presence!”

Deep within the cave there was noise and movement. This was the moment that Hilda had prepared for, the reason she had come all this way. She was ready. She reached for the golden shield hanging from her back, polished to a blinding brilliance. Stepping to the side, she angled the shield so that she could see the cave in its reflection. She would be able to see the monster without looking upon it and thus slay it without turning to stone. 

A figure appeared in the shadowy cave entrance, dimly illuminated by the flickering torchlight. Hilda stared intently as the monster came into focus in her shield, and she gathered her strength to lunge at her foe. Then the monster emerged into the daylight and Hilda gaped.

A young woman in a flowing blue dress stood at the mouth of the cave, looking around hesitantly. She was slender and graceful, with delicate ivory skin, sad brown eyes, and bright blue snakes atop her head in place of hair, descending to coil around her arms, wrists and waist. Several birds descended from the trees to land on her shoulders and outstretched hand, and she murmured softly to them as she sought out the person who had called to her. 

She was the most beautiful person Hilda had ever seen.

“Have you come to kill me?” the monster said. Her voice was gentle and soft like rain. Some of the forest creatures came closer as she spoke. “Many have tried. You can see them all around.” 

From another these words would be a taunt, but from her they just sounded sad and full of regret. “I didn’t mean to kill them, but this curse I bear brings misfortune to everyone. You, though. You look like you might be able to help me end this at last.”

Hilda was dumbstruck. This beautiful, sad girl was not at all what she had expected. Hilda was here to kill her and it seemed like she wanted to die, and yet.

“What’s your name?” The question left Hilda’s lips before she realized she was going to ask it.

“They used to call me Marianne, before. Now they call me Medusa, or other, uglier things.”

“Marianne...I was sent here to kill a monster. I think that monster might be you. But you’re not like other monsters I’ve fought. Who are you?” She angled her shield to get a better look at Marianne, who was regarding her curiously.

“I was once a girl like any other girl, and then misfortune befell me. I’m sure you know the story of the ten elites. My family was descended from an eleventh elite, Maurice. His crest is above the cave here. They call it the Crest of the Beast, and because of it I can speak with the animals and birds. It also gave Maurice dark powers, and he used them to kill many people. No one in my family had those powers, but an evil group called the Agarthans heard we had his crest. 

“They tried to force us to use those powers to do terrible things, and when we could not they killed my parents and gave me this curse that turns people to stone when they look at me. I’ve become just as deadly as Maurice ever was. I’ve been praying to the goddess to end my suffering, and each time a warrior comes to this island I hope that they’ll be the one to finally end it. All of them turned to stone except you. I think you may be the one I was waiting for.”

Hilda looked at Marianne’s sorrowful face reflected in her shield. Slowly, carefully, she set down her axe.

“I...I’m Hilda. Hilda Goneril. I guess we both descend from the elites. I’m so sorry to hear about what happened to you. I didn’t know about Maurice, but it sounds like none of this is your fault.”

She took a few steps closer, still looking at Marianne’s reflection. The snakes were entrancing as they coiled around her face. She suddenly wanted, more than anything, to touch her. 

“I know I can’t look at you, not directly. Can I touch you?” It was a bold question, but Hilda was a bold adventurer.

Marianne was silent at first. “I-I think so. The others who I fought, they didn’t change until they looked at me.”

“I don’t want to fight you. I just-I just want to take your hand.” She stepped closer still, so close she could hear Marianne’s quiet breathing, and the rustling of the snakes. She reached out her hand, slowly. Marianne stared, but did not back away.

Ever so gently, she took Marianne’s hand. Her skin was soft and warm, warmer than Hilda expected for someone who could turn men to stone. Unthinking, she closed her eyes and brought the hand to her lips. 

Marianne gasped quietly, and Hilda almost forgot herself and looked up at her. Just in time she looked into her shield instead, and realized that she was perhaps the only person to have ever seen Medusa blush.

Marianne gazed into the shield, meeting Hilda’s eyes for the first time. They stared at each other for a few long moments. 

“I’m sorry. It’s been so long since anyone touched me.” She was still holding Hilda’s hand.

“Can I kiss you?” Hilda blurted out. She hadn’t planned to say it out loud, but it was all she could think about.

“I-I don’t know. None have ever tried. Perhaps as long as you don’t loo-”

Hilda dropped the shield, closed her eyes, and stepped even closer. She reached out tentatively and put a hand on Marianne’s cheek. She felt a snake brush past her fingers and taste her with its flickering tongue. 

“I wasn’t asking if it was possible. I was asking if you want me to.”

Marianne went still. “Oh,” she said softly. And then, in a whisper, “Yes.” 

Hilda had fought many monsters, but never once thought about what it would be like to kiss one. Marianne’s lips were warm and pliant and so, so soft. She felt Marianne’s arms wrap around her waist at the same time that she felt snakes coil around her wrist and brush past her face. The snakes were part of their embrace, somehow, urging them closer until they were pressed together and their kisses turned hungry and deep.

Hilda stopped when Marianne started to tremble and she felt a tear slide down Marianne’s cheek. She cupped her face with her hands. It was an effort to keep her eyes closed. 

“Marianne, are you all right?”

“Yes, I. I just. I never thought this was something I could have. A kiss. A-a friend.”

They held each other, standing at the front of the cave. Hilda kept her eyes tightly closed as she kissed the tears from Marianne’s cheeks, snakes still brushing past her face. 

“Marianne, is there no way to lift your curse? You don’t deserve this life, and you don’t deserve to die because of what they did to you. I would-I would stay with you, if I could.”

“I know of no way to lift the curse. But there is something else. Or there was, many years ago. The Agarthans had a charm, a stone of great power that allowed its bearer to look upon me unscathed. They took it with them when they left me here. I don’t know where it is now.”

“A charm...Do you know anything else about the Agarthans? Where they came from or where they went? I haven’t heard their name spoken before.”

“The place they came from was said to be called Shambhala. I know little more than that. It’s a slim hope, I know.”

“It should be enough. If any trace remains of this Shambhala, I will find it. I came here to slay a monster. Instead I found you - gentle and kind and the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. The monsters I need to slay are the ones who did this to you. You deserve happiness and a better life. I want to be the one who gives that to you.”

“You would do this for me? Perhaps you really are the one I was waiting for. I just never dreamed it would be like this.”

“Will you wait for me a bit longer? I swear, I’ll return to you and I’ll have the charm with me. Then I can look in your eyes as I kiss you.”

She leaned in to kiss Marianne again, and the snakes coiled around them both as they lost themselves in the embrace.

This time when they separated it was Marianne with the bold question. “Will you stay, just this one night, before setting forth again? You’ve had a long journey here and a have a longer one still to come.”

Hilda’s only reply was another kiss, letting the brush of her lips against Marianne’s serve as her answer. 

Marianne took her hand and led her into the cave.


	2. The City Without Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hilda and the Golden Deer seek out Shambhala to find the mysterious charm that will let Hilda look at Marianne without turning to stone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's no romance in this chapter but there's plenty of exciting adventure! Enjoy! (Huge thanks to [Foo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/foux_dogue/works) and [Ellie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/609Ellie/pseuds/609Ellie) for their invaluable beta read feedback!)

Hilda Valentine Goneril, fearless warrior of House Goneril, knew that she would need allies in her quest to find the stone that would let her be with Marianne. She didn’t know where to find Shambhala, or the Agarthans, but she had some friends who made it their business to Know Things. She sought them out for help, starting first with her friend Claude. 

Claude was often busy these days presiding over the governance of their loosely-knit group of territories, but he always managed to find time for Hilda. Especially if that time involved slyly mocking her romantic woes.

“So instead of killing the monster, you kissed her? And now you’re on a quest for a charm that will let you look at her so you can kiss her again?”

“My family was also skeptical, but said they wouldn’t get in my way. I have to help her, Claude. I...I feel like this is my destiny.”

“The mighty Hilda, brought low by a beautiful monster. Who would have thought? I’ll see what I can find on this ‘Shambhala’.” His grin was both charming and infuriating, but she supposed that was the price she had to pay for his help.

The next friend she sought was Lysithea, a mage whose scholarship was known throughout the land. Claude accompanied her, intrigued by the mystery.

Lysithea met them in her study, surrounded by piles of books.

“I couldn’t find much on the Agarthans, but a few older texts mention them as an ancient civilization that warred with the Nabateans. They had great powers at their disposal. I’m surprised to hear that there are still people calling themselves Agarthans today.”

Hilda felt hope stirring in her breast. “Did the texts mention anything about where we can find them?”

“So interesting to hear you say ‘we’. It’s almost like you think I’m coming with you to Shambhala on your quest to kiss snake girls.”

“Just one snake girl!”

Lysithea sighed and pulled a large, musty tome out of the pile.

“Our family’s home in Derdriu has a very old library,” she said. “One of the oldest books I found there had a map of the ancient world that used names I’d never heard before for different parts of Fodlan. Shambhala was one of those names. And you’ll never guess where it is - to the east of the Isle of Hyrm.”

“But that’s - that’s right next to Goneril territory!”

“From what I understand, not many people sail that way. How well charted are those waters? There may yet be islands and other things that your family hasn’t discovered. Though it’s definitely interesting that House Hyrm never mentioned anything about it to my family when we tried to help them with the Empire.”

Claude looked thoughtful. “And now Hyrm and this so-called Shambhala are in Imperial hands. Interesting.” He began pacing the room as he continued. “I wonder if they discovered anything more about these so-called Agarthans and the powers they supposedly had. It could be a problem for the rest of us. All the more reason for us to go check it out.”

Lysithea sighed. “As much as I don’t want to waste my time helping Hilda chase after snake girls, I’m inclined to agree.”

Hilda smiled gratefully at her two friends. “Thank you both. I’ll leave the politics to the two of you. I’m doing this for Marianne.”

##

Armed with knowledge of where to begin their search for Shambhala, Hilda and Claude discreetly put out a call to their friends. Those who answered were stalwart warriors with whom they had fought many a battle in days past, calling themselves the fellowship of the Golden Deer. 

They included Leonie Pinelli, renowned mercenary; Ignatz Victor, eagle-eyed merchant with legendary sharpshooting and painting skills; Raphael Kiresten, a giant of a man with fists of steel and a heart of gold; and Lorenz Hellman Gloucester, scion of an old noble family whose skill with a spear was as impeccable as his etiquette. Despite her initial objections, Lysithea joined them too, adding her formidable magic skill to their arsenal. They gathered in Goneril territory and set forth on Hilda’s ship, sailing southwest towards Hyrm in search of islands that weren’t on any of their maps.

“What do we know about these Agarthans?” Leonie joined Hilda and Claude at the prow of the ship to gaze out across the water. “I like to know my enemy so I can prepare for whatever fight is ahead of us.” 

“Not much,” Claude replied. “We know they fought the Nabateans in times of old, and it’s said that they had strange powers.”

“That much seems obvious, since they were able to turn someone into a gorgon.” Frustration started to creep into Leonie’s voice. “There’s nothing else on who they were or what their powers were like? We’re going into this pretty blind.”

Hilda shook her head. “Nothing that any of us could find. We’ll have to prepare ourselves for anything.”

As they lost sight of the shore and sailed deeper into unknown waters, they found themselves enshrouded in a deep fog, unable to see more than a few boat lengths in any direction. After several interminable hours of directionless sailing into the mist, they sighted land. 

Leonie and Claude hunched over their sea charts, brows furrowed. “It’s impossible to tell where we are in all of this fog, but based on our last known position, there shouldn’t be any island here. It’s a good bet that this is the place.”

“There’s definitely something here. I can sense it.” Lysithea gazed intently at the fast-approaching shore, holding on to the side of the boat with a white-knuckled grip. “I feel dark, old magic like nothing I’ve ever encountered before. We’ll need to be careful.” 

“Agreed.” Claude looked solemnly at their companions. “Lorenz, I want you to stay here in command of the ship. If we don’t return in a day and a night, sail for home and warn everyone of this place.” 

The rest of the fellowship approached the shore in a small skiff. They spoke little, each one alone with their thoughts about what they might find on the mysterious island, and who they might face.

For the second time in as many months, Hilda found herself exploring a mysterious island rumored to have a great evil at its heart. Unlike the last island with its sunny fields and happy creatures, this one had a foreboding air. The land was shrouded in thick, swirling mist and not a single living thing could be seen save for dark, gnarled trees. 

They approached the center of the island and found a stone staircase leading underground. They lit torches and prepared to descend, with Hilda in the lead. As she placed her foot on the first step, lines of bright blue light erupted on each side, searing their way down the staircase and faintly illuminating a long, dark descent.

Hilda exchanged a glance with her comrades. Claude nodded solemnly at her. Raphael squared his shoulders. Ignatz tightened his hand on his bow. Leonie’s eyes gleamed in determination, and Lysithea peered down the staircase in fascination.

“Onward, then.” And they started down the dark stone stairs.

At the bottom of the stairs they found a long corridor, with the same twin trails of blue light leading down each side. At its end, the corridor opened up into a massive cavern, so large that its ceiling was lost in the blue-tinged darkness.

They had come across an enormous underground city. The corridor branched off in many directions, widening into streets lined by buildings at irregular intervals. The buildings were lit with the same cold blue light as the floor, and their footsteps echoed off the walls. Nothing stirred in the city that stretched out in front of them. The silence was eerie. 

“What is this place?” Claude mused in a near-whisper. 

“Shambhala, the City Without Light,” Lysithea responded, her voice tinged with awe. “None of the texts explained why they called it that, but now we know.” 

“Who built it, and where did they go?”

“My guess is the Agarthans.” Lysithea's gaze traveled over the silent, foreboding city. “From the looks of it, there used to be a lot of them. But since most of us have never heard of them, there are probably a lot less of them now. Nowhere near enough to fill a place this big.”

“There must be some left, to have done what they did to Marianne,” Hilda said fiercely. “Hopefully we’ll find them here. Or at least find the charm that she mentioned. Everything that we’ve learned so far seems to have led us here.”

“This place is enormous. Any ideas about where we should start looking?” Leonie scanned the area as she spoke, trying to get her bearings.

“That seems like our best bet for finding an object of power,” Claude said, pointing to the center of the city where a massive tower rose. “Or at least some more information.” 

They cautiously set off for the tower. There was no sign of life in the empty streets at the city’s outskirts, and no noise save for their own footfalls and the harsh sound of their breathing. 

As they drew closer to the tower, Leonie held up her hand and put a finger to her lips. They ducked into a side street to confer.

“Someone is definitely watching us,” she whispered. “I saw movement atop the buildings ahead.”

“Do we try to lose them, or draw them out?” Claude surveyed the intersection ahead of them, looking for tactical advantage.

Hilda unsheathed her axe and stepped forward. “It will be too easy for them to track us in this empty place. I say we fight.”

“Have we considered that they may not want to fight? We could try talking,” Ignatz suggested. He had his bow at the ready, and a look on his face that said he clearly hoped he wouldn’t have to use it.

“Only one way to find out. Cover me.” Hilda stepped forward into the intersection.

“Hello! Who’s out there? Show yourselves!”

Armed warriors materialized on the street in front of her, moving silently and fast. There were at least five of them, clad all in black with the lithe, acrobatic bodies of assassins. They rushed forward, swords drawn. Hilda barely had time to raise her axe to block their blows, spinning to parry as they encircled her.

Arrows suddenly sprouted from two of their assailants. Hilda looked back to see Claude and Ignatz tracking the assassins with their bows. Then Raphael and Leonie charged forward, and the battle was joined.

The black-clad warriors were well-trained and fought fiercely, but they were no match for Hilda’s fearsome axe and Raphael’s mighty fists, backed by Claude and Ignatz’s swift arrows and Leonie’s lighting-quick spear. Soon enough their foes lay vanquished in the street. 

“How disappointing. You didn’t even need my magic.” Lysithea emerged from the side street surrounded by the echo of a dark glow as she dismissed her powers. “Now let’s see if we can learn who these people are.” 

She bent down to inspect one of the bodies, and gasped as it crumbled to dust at her touch. “Interesting and disturbing. There’s definitely some kind of dark magic at work here. Did any of you hear them say anything as they fought?”

“No, come to think of it, they were completely silent, even when they died.” Raphael shuddered. “That’s not natural.”

“No, none of this is. Let’s keep moving forward, carefully.” Claude put away his bow and started off cautiously down the street where the assassins had emerged, keeping to the shadows as he went.

They encountered no more foes on their approach to the tower. The street widened into a broad avenue, and as they drew closer they could see that it ended in a large, open plaza at the tower’s base. The plaza and surrounding streets seemed just as deserted as the rest of the city, with the same eerie silence. 

Claude brought them to a halt a few blocks before the plaza to plan their approach.

“I don’t like the look of this. Let’s approach from a side street. That wide open area is too exposed. I don’t trust that there won’t be more surprises.” 

The side streets around the tower were like a labyrinth, full of twists and turns and dead ends. The group had to double back several times, and when they finally found a path that led back to the plaza, it was dark and shadowy and no wider than an alleyway. By the time they arrived, none of them could shake the feeling that they were being watched. 

They paused in the mouth of the alleyway to get their bearings. At this distance they could see the tower gates, which were flanked by two enormous statues and held shut with a massive lock that glowed with dark energy. 

“Can you feel that?” Lysithea hissed, narrowing her eyes.“There is strong magic here. It’s centered on the tower, but I can feel it all around us as well.”

“Do you sense any traps?” Claude scanned the empty plaza for any sign of danger.

“No, but there’s no telling what might happen when we step out there. Be careful.”

“I’ll go first.” Hilda raised her axe and shouldered her way to the front of the group. “I brought you all here, so this risk is mine to take. Claude, Ignatz, Lysithea, cover me.”

She stepped out into the plaza and began to cautiously make her way to the tower. Hilda half-expected dark magic to engulf her or mystical attackers to materialize, but nothing stirred. She gave the group a gesture of encouragement and began to climb the tower steps. As she passed between the two looming statues, they suddenly lurched to life. 

“Golems, of course!” Lysithea exclaimed. “They have to be controlled by mages somewhere nearby. Hilda, hold them off while we look for whoever is controlling them!”

“Raphael, go help Hilda. The rest of you, let’s find those mages!” Claude whipped out his bow and dashed off down the alleyway with the rest of the group behind him.

Hilda lost sight of them after that as she dived to avoid a frontal attack from the nearest golem. They were big but slow, lumbering forward to swing their huge fists in a wide, sweeping arc. 

She was easily able to dodge them and counterattack with her axe, which bit into the living stone in a shower of sparks. To her right she saw Raphael catch the other golem’s fist mid-sweep and yank it forward, throwing the statue off-balance. She swung at its leg with her axe and brought it crashing to the ground.

“Ha! Take that!” She grinned ferociously at Raphael while keeping up her fleet-footed dodging, maneuvering the golem that was still standing until it was between her and Raphael. 

“You take his right leg, I’ll take his left, on the count of three!” she bellowed. “One, two, THREE!”

They surged forward together. Hilda rolled under a sweeping fist and used her momentum to drive her axe deep into the golem’s left leg, while Raphael brought both fists down on the right leg with an enormous smash. The golem collapsed and they both let out a victorious cry.

The first golem was starting to struggle to its feet when they heard an explosion nearby and were nearly knocked flat by a wave of magic energy emanating from the surrounding streets. Both golems disintegrated into inert piles of rubble. Hilda and Raphael exchanged a look and started sprinting towards the place where they last saw their friends. 

Before they had even made it across the plaza, Lysithea emerged from the alleyway. She left a trail of magic energy in her wake and her eyes glowed like purple embers. She held a small black key in her hand and looked troubled. 

“Unlike the assassins,” Lysithea told them, “the mages were real people who didn’t crumble to dust. The mage who had this key looked at me in terror as he died and said ‘It must be kept contained. You must not release it!’ I don’t know what we’ll find in that tower, but it won’t be good.”

The rest of the group followed behind her, seemingly unscathed. Hilda breathed a sigh of relief.

“We haven’t come all this way to turn back now. Whatever’s in there, it seems likely the charm we seek will be there too. Marianne said that the charm was a stone of great power.” Hilda tightened her grip on her axe and ushered Lysithea forward. “We can do this.”

Lysithea climbed the steps to the tower and inserted the key into the lock. Her hands glowed as she slowly twisted it three turns to the left and two to the right, and then the doors rumbled open. 

“How did you know how to do that?” Ignatz asked, his voice tinged with wonder.

“I asked the key, and it told me,” Lysithea said solemnly. No one ventured to ask her about it further.

Beyond the tower gates was a shadowy corridor. Cold, dank air wafted out from the tower’s interior, accompanied by the musty smell of rooms long left undisturbed. Lysithea raised a glowing hand to provide a light, and the group cautiously made its way inside.

The corridor seemed to stretch forward interminably, with its end lost in the gloom ahead. The walls on either side were one smooth, unbroken expanse with no doors, windows or decoration save for a line of runes etched in a stripe along the middle. Lysithea ran her hand over them and scowled.

“They aren’t magic runes, and I don’t recognize whatever language this is. I may have seen a drawing or two in the tome about Shambhala that showed something similar, but there was nothing to indicate what they meant.”

“Then all we can do is go forward. This has to be the right place.” Hilda strode boldly down the corridor at a brisk pace, and the others followed after her. 

They walked until they could no longer see the tower gates behind them and then walked further still. There was only gloom as far as the eye could see, and the lines of runes stretching onward into the darkness.

At last, the corridor dead ended in a massive, ornate wooden door. The runes that stretched down the corridor encircled the door and melded into runes carved in the door itself. There was no handle or keyhole that anyone could detect.

Hilda pushed at the door. It did not budge. Next she kicked it. Still it did not open. Raphael tried with his fists, and Lysithea with her magic. The door remained shut.

Suddenly, from behind the door came the sound of harsh, echoing laughter.

“Have you finally come for me? Are you ready to claim that which you resurrected and then abandoned?”

Slowly, the door swung open of its own accord.

On the other side of the door was a vast, cavernous room supported by row after row of stone columns. A shaft of sunlight pierced the center of the room from high above, forming a rectangle of light on the floor. In the middle of that rectangle stood a massive giant of a man, surrounded by broken shackles. 

“You have freed me at last. Is it time to destroy this world? Wait. You do not look like the ones who imprisoned me here.”

“Who are you?” Hilda advanced cautiously with her axe gripped in both hands.

“They call me Nemesis. I fought long ago, and I fell. All was darkness for a time. Then I awoke here. Those who brought me back said that the time would come for my revenge, but it never did. And now it seems you have found me. Have my jailers fallen at last, here in their dead city?”

Lysithea looked pale. “This-this is  _ the _ Nemesis. The one the legends speak of. The King of Liberation. The one who fought the Nabateans.”

Claude shook his head. “That’s impossible.”

“All of this is impossible. This city, this magic, my being here now a thousand years after I lived and fought and died.” Nemesis laughed, a low, menacing sound that echoed throughout the chamber. “And yet here I am. And here you are. I do not think you came here seeking me. Pray tell, what is it that you seek?”

The party turned to look at Hilda. Her eyes were locked on a bright, glowing stone that dangled from Nemesis’ neck.

“Ah, you want the crest stone. They told me this stone was what they used to bring me back, and is the only thing that keeps me alive. Will you try and take it from me, young adventurers? Will you challenge the man who once defeated gods?”

The group drew their weapons and stepped into formation, but Hilda shook her head.

“Thank you for coming here with me,” Hilda told her companions. “I couldn’t have gotten this far without you. But this is my fight now.”

She brandished her axe and stepped forward. Nemesis’ eyes narrowed as he looked more closely at her weapon. 

“I know that axe, young warrior. Where did you get it?”

“You face Hilda Valentine Goneril of House Goneril. This axe is called Freikugel and has been in my family for generations. With it I have defeated many foes. It is the axe that will slay the man who once defeated gods.”

Nemesis threw back his head and laughed. “How fitting, that descendants of my own band of warriors should come here to challenge me.”

He pointed at Lysithea. “You know my story. You know who I was, and who fought with me. The ten elites were my sworn brothers and sisters. Goneril himself fought at my side. And now a daughter of his blood seeks to fight me with the very axe I helped him forge. Come then, young one. Let us see if the blood of Goneril truly runs in your veins.”

A weapon appeared in Nemesis’ hand where none had been before. It was a sword of ancient design, seemingly made out of serrated segments of bone. Anyone else would have needed two hands to wield it, but he held it in one hand as easily as one might hold a dagger. He slid into a fighting stance and smiled wickedly. 

Hilda gave a battle cry and charged forward. Their weapons met in a shower of sparks. The stone in the center of Freikugel blazed with light as Hilda parried Nemesis’ staggering blows.

Nemesis was twice as tall as Hilda and covered in rippling muscle. Perhaps he thought to easily overpower her but she matched him blow for blow. He laughed in delight as they moved around the room in their deadly dance, accompanied by the ringing sound of weapon against weapon.

“It has been so long since I had a worthy opponent, little one. You do your ancestor proud. Perhaps I will even let you escape with your life, if you continue to prove yourself.”

He brought his sword down in a mighty stroke. The blade separated into whiplike segments which lashed out at Hilda. She threw herself to one side to avoid it, but its tip caught her in the side and sent her sprawling. 

Nemesis retracted the segments back into the blade and bore down on her, pressing his advantage to attack her while she lay stunned on the ground. Hilda barely managed to deflect the blow and roll to the side as his sword scored deep marks into the stone where she had lay just a moment before.

Hilda came to one knee, panting. Nemesis advanced on her with a wicked grin. 

“Has your strength failed you already? Perhaps the blood of Goneril runs weaker than I thought.”

Hilda rose to a standing position and planted one foot firmly behind her. She wiped away a bit of blood at the corner of her mouth. Her eyes burned with a determined fury.

“My strength has never failed me yet. Let me show you what it truly means to face the might of House Goneril.”

She leaped forward to meet him, and as her axe met his sword her crest activated in a flash of light. Nemesis staggered back under the blow. Hilda swung her axe again to knock the sword from his hands and sent him crashing to the ground. The stone on her axe burned with an inner fire as she brought the weapon over her head in a two-handed grip and drove the blade deep into his chest.

Nemesis closed his eyes and made a rasping, gurgling sound. Hilda realized he was laughing.

“That’s the Goneril I remember. It seems you have come to free me after all.”

Hilda reached for the stone around his neck, and his massive hand closed around hers.

“Why do you seek this stone? Who sent you here? Are there others who seek to use its power?”

“You led the elites, so you also must have known Maurice. I was sent by a daughter of his blood to find this stone and right a terrible wrong. Little did I know how far back that wrong goes, and how deep the history was.”

“Fitting that I should be undone by the blood of Goneril and Maurice together. The stone is yours now. Take it. But know this. The stone has great power. Many will hunt you down, wanting to take it from you.”

Hilda’s eyes gleamed as she stood over her fallen foe. “Let them try.” 

She closed her hand around the stone and yanked it free, snapping the chain that held it around Nemesis’ neck. He opened his mouth in a wordless cry and crumbled to dust. Hilda’s axe clattered to the floor as he disintegrated, the stone’s light winking out.

They all stood motionless as the last echoes of the battle died out. Hilda felt her heart pound in her chest and a gentle thrum from the stone in her hand.

“Hold on. Do you hear that?” Leonie cocked her head with a look of fierce concentration.

Somewhere far beneath them a faint rumble began to grow, getting louder and closer with each passing second. A few heartbeats later the floor started to shake, gently at first but growing more violent as the sound intensified. 

“We have to leave. Now!” Lysithea yelled, shoving them back towards the corridor. The rumbling was bone-deep now and so loud they had to shout to be heard. 

Hilda grabbed her axe and ran for the chamber door. She turned to look at the room one last time and saw the columns start to collapse one after the other in an avalanche of falling rock. Then she spun on her heel and sprinted out into the corridor.

Of all the things they had faced in Shambhala, none was as terrifying as their mad dash down the dark corridor as the tower collapsed behind them. They burst out the gates and into the plaza in time to see one of the tower’s spires topple into a nearby building with an ear-splitting crash. 

As they ran out of the plaza and away from the falling tower they saw the blue light illuminating the city flicker out block by block, starting in the center and radiating outward.

“Which way?” Ignatz cried.

“Straight down the middle.” Leonie said grimly. “I don’t think we’ll need to worry about anyone seeing us this time.” 

“What’s happening?” Claude demanded, taking in the chaos all around them.

“The stone.” Lysithea said. “It wasn’t just keeping Nemesis alive. It was powering this whole city. Now that we’ve taken it the city is crumbling just like Nemesis did. We have to get out of here now unless we want to be trapped here forever. Go!”

They fled towards the staircase to the surface, watching the blue lines gutter and go dark as they ran. After a harried, breathless climb, they emerged to find the mist lifting off of the island and the ground trembling under their feet. Cracks and fissures began to appear all around them.

They dashed to the beach with Hilda in the lead. As they shoved off in the skiff and made for their ship, they looked back to watch the whole island crumble apart and sink into the sea, Shambhala lost to the ocean’s depths forever. 

It was probably for the best that it was gone.

The dense fog that had surrounded their ship was gone as well, replaced by clear skies and a light breeze that carried them swiftly towards home. They all gathered on deck to try and make sense of what they had just done and seen. Claude and Lysithea both eyed the stone that now hung around Hilda’s neck. 

“That stone had the power to resurrect Nemesis and keep Shambhala from sinking into the sea. You’re holding the power to break empires. To remake the world. What are you going to do with it?”

Hilda looked down at the stone, and then up at her friends. Every eye was on the hero of House Goneril and the power she now held.

“I’m going to see Marianne.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fight scenes are cool and all, but I'm especially proud of the double meaning in the last line. Next chapter we wrap this up when Hilda returns to Marianne, stone in hand.


	3. Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hilda has discovered the lost city of Shambhala and defeated an ancient foe to win the crest stone that will let her look at Marianne without turning to stone. Now she returns victorious to Medusa's isle to see her love.

Hilda Valentine Goneril, fearless warrior of House Goneril, sailed across the sea on what she hoped would be her last journey for a long while. Once again she sought the island home of Medusa, who she knew as Marianne, this time not to slay her but to woo her. Her ship was laden with provisions and many of the comforts of home, and if all went well she planned to stay on the isle and send the ship home without her.

The crest stone that she had won from Nemesis was fastened securely around her neck. She and her Golden Deer friends had all agreed that they couldn’t let an object of such power fall into the wrong hands. They were incredulous that Hilda wanted the stone merely so she could lay eyes on Marianne, but had to admit that it wasn’t a bad plan to safeguard it on a remote island under the protection of a legendary warrior and a fearsome gorgon. 

The rest of the Golden Deer had sworn to seek out the remaining Agarthans and ensure that they did not gain a new foothold to terrorize the populace now that Shambhala was no more. They entreated Hilda to accompany them, but Hilda had only one thing on her mind now that the crest stone was hers. She was determined to fulfill her vow to return to Marianne.

And so she had bid her friends farewell on the shores of Goneril territory after they returned from their adventure. She left them with a promise that if the stone worked they could visit and meet the girl who had stolen her heart.

As she anchored her ship off the coast of Medusa’s isle and set out for the shore in her rowboat, Hilda realized that she was nervous. She could face fearsome monsters and battle ancient evil foes and feel no fear, but the thought of seeing Marianne again left her palms sweating and her heart hammering in her chest. Would the stone really work? Would Marianne be happy to see her again? After all her travails and adventures, after dreaming of Marianne every night, it felt unreal that the end of her journey might be so close.

The sun-drenched isle seemed just as she had left it weeks before. Hilda’s were the only footprints on the sand as she dragged her rowboat past the high tide line and secured it. The animals she saw as she made her way along the path through the fields were just as happy and carefree. The birds swooped down to sing joyfully when they saw her and then flew off to the forest, perhaps to tell Marianne that Hilda had come home.

The path through the forest was also the same as it had been on her first visit. Hilda noted with relief that there seemed to be no new statues of warriors who had come to slay Medusa. She would have to make it known far and wide that Marianne was no threat and was under her protection.

As she approached the cave Hilda called out to Marianne, unable to contain her nervous excitement. “Marianne! Are you there? I’m back, and I found the stone! You won’t believe what I had to do to get it!”

She unslung her shield from where it hung at her back and angled it to look at the cave entrance, unwilling to trust the stone until Marianne confirmed it was the right one. Marianne emerged from the mouth of the cave looking astonished. The moment Hilda caught her first glimpse of Marianne the nervous fluttering in her stomach vanished, replaced by a feeling of certainty that at last she was home. 

Marianne, for her part, looked stunned as she stepped out into the open.“You came back. You really came. I can hardly believe it. I didn’t know if I’d ever see you again.” Marianne’s voice sounded like someone who was used to expecting disappointment. 

“Of course I came back! I made you a promise, and I always keep my promises. Besides, you’re all I’ve been able to think about since I first met you. I had to come back for you.”

Marianne smiled shyly. “I’m really glad you did. Do you truly have the stone?” 

Hilda approached Marianne, still averting her eyes. She took Marianne’s hand and lifted it to the stone fastened around her neck.

“I’ll tell you the whole tale sometime soon, but for now I’ll keep it short. I found Shambhala, and battled a mighty foe to get this stone. I know it has great power, but tell me - is this the charm you mentioned? Will it let me look at you without turning to stone?”

Hilda watched through the reflection in her shield as Marianne pressed her fingertips to the stone. For days the stone had been the cloudy grey color of storm-tossed seas, but it glowed faintly as Marianne touched it and shifted to the same bright blue as the snakes that writhed atop her head. 

Marianne gasped. “Yes, this is the stone. It-it spoke to me just now. It told me that you are pure of heart, and it will grant you what you desire.”

Hilda set her shield on the ground. She took a deep breath, and then slowly, steadily, let her gaze travel up Marianne’s body. Her eyes passed over the gauzy blue fabric of Marianne’s dress, her long, pale arms, her delicate collarbone and her elegant neck. Her chin. Her lips. Her nose. And finally-

Marianne’s eyes were a warm, rich brown, with a depth no shield could hope to reflect. They were full of sadness and worry, and just a tiny bit of hope. Hilda knew she could stare into them forever if given the chance. 

Time seemed to stop as they looked into each other’s eyes. Hilda saw the exact moment that the sadness and worry in Marianne’s gaze gave way to wonder and joy. She watched Marianne’s eyes fill with tears.

And then there was no power in all of Fodlan strong enough to keep Hilda from taking Marianne in her arms and kissing her. 

They did not stop kissing for a long time. When they finally parted, breathless, Hilda took Marianne’s face in her hands and looked at her with adoration. 

“You’re even more beautiful now that I can look at you fully.” She brushed an errant snake away from Marianne’s cheek. 

“It worked,” Marianne whispered. “Goddess, it really worked.” She smiled, and it was as though a beam of sunlight parted the clouds to dazzle Hilda with its warmth and light. “It’s been so long since I could meet someone's eyes. And no one has ever looked at me the way you’re looking at me now.”

“I’ll look at you like this every day, Marianne. If you’ll let me stay.”

“Stay? You would stay here with me?” 

“I sought out the lost city of Shambhala and battled an ancient evil to win the means to stay by your side. There’s nothing in the world I want more. The ship I came in is full of the things we’ll need to make a home together here, if you’ll have me.”

“A home…” Marianne trailed off, overcome by emotion.

Had anyone before this ever seen Medusa weep and lived to tell the tale? Hilda didn’t know, but she wiped the tears away as they spilled freely down Marianne’s cheeks, replacing them with kisses. 

She took her love’s hand and they walked back into the cave together. Hilda’s shield lay forgotten on the ground outside the cave, among the stone-still statues of all those who came before her and saw only a monster.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for coming along on this journey with me! I love these two so much and the Medusa myth seemed perfect for them. For those of you who like your fics a little spicier, I'll be writing an nsfw companion piece to this work that fills in some "deleted scenes" between Hilda and Marianne. Stay tuned!
> 
> You can find me on Twitter where I go by [quorniya](https://twitter.com/quorniya).

**Author's Note:**

> This will end up having either two or three parts, depending on how long the last section turns out to be. I also plan to add an optional E-rated sequel that fills in the "missing" spicy scenes without adding to the plot. If NSFW isn't your thing you won't be missing out on anything crucial by skipping it, but for smut fans it should be a tasty treat.
> 
> **
> 
> I'm [quorniya](https://twitter.com/quorniya) on Twitter, and I help run Marihilda Discord.


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